Apparatus for crushing corrugated metal



July 24, 1923- RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR AL July 24, 1923 c. E. ATKINSON APPARATUS FOR CRUSHING CORRUGATED METAL Filed June 4, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 RSZW@ Patented July 24, 1923.

CHARLES E. ATKINSON, OF

j maar.

PINE LANN, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO E. E. SOUTHER IRON COMPANY, OF WELIJSTON P. O., ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI, A CORPORA- TION OF MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR CRUSI-IING CORRUGATED METAL.

Application filed June 4, 1921. Serial No. 475,047.

10 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, @nannies Il.i-i'r1rNsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Pine Lawn, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have 'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Crushing lorrugated Metal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for crushing corrugated sheet material, and more particularly to a means for crushing and flattening the corrugations at a marginal portion of a corrugated metal sheet. An object of the invention is to provide van apparatus whereby marginal portions of corrugated metal sheet can be crushed and at the same time accurately folded to provide substantially flat and smooth surfaces at the crushed margins.

Briefly stated, the apparatus I have described as an illustration of one form of the invention consists in a means for flattening the marginal portion of a corrugated sheet, and at the same time forming in clines merging into said marginal portion and also into uncrushed portions of the corrugations. During the crushing operation, the corrugations are folded in a peculiar manner, as will be hereinafter described, so as to form predetermined folds in the metal. and these folds are flattened to provide substantially smooth flat faces at the crushed margin.

A corrugated metal sheet having flat margins can be conveniently used for the side walls of a container, it being a compara- Lively simple matter to secure the top and bottom walls at the fiat margins. Prior to this invention, transformer casings and other receptacles have been provided with corrugated side walls which are exposed to the atmosphere for the purpose of cooling the liquid contents of the receptacles. In the mauufa ture of such casings, or receptacles, it has been very diiicult to firmly and accurately secure Vthe bottom walls to the corrugated side walls, According to the usual practice, transformer casings are made by first forming the corrugated side walls and then inserting the corrugated lower margins of these walls into a mold where the bottom wall is formed by pouring molten metal into mold, so as to integrally connect the bottom wall to the corrugated side walls. Obviously, this is both difficult and expensive, especially in the manufacture of very large transformer casings, and it results in the production of casings having very heavy cast metal bottoms.

After the corrugated margins have been crushed and flattened in accordance with the present invention, they can be very easily welded to a simple sheet metal bottom, so as to integrally connect the fiat margins to the bottom.

Fig. I is a vertical section illustrating an apparatus adapted for use in crush ing and flattening a marginal portion of a. corrugated sheet.

Fig. II is a horizontal section on the line II-II in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a vertical section of portions of the apparatus shown in Fig. I, illustrating the parts in the positions the7 occupy immediately before the -first crushing operation.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary bottom view of the parts shown in Fig. III.

Fig. V is a view similar to Fig. III showing the parts in the positions they occupy when the rst crushing operation has been completed.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary bottom view of the parts shown in Fig. V

Fig. VII is a fragmentary perspective view of the two corrugated dies between which the corrugated sheet is clamped for the first crushing operation.

Fig. VIII is a vertical section similar to Fig. III, showing the dies between Which the corrugated sheet is clamped for the second crushing operation, the parts being shown in the positions they occupy immediately before the second crushing operation.

Fig. IX is a fragmentary bottom view of the parts shown in Fig. VIII. y

Fig. Xl is a view of the parts shown in Fig. VIII, illustrating them in the positions they occupy after the second crushing operation has been completed.

Fig. XI is a fragmentary bottom view of the partsshown in Fig. X.

Fig. XII is a fragmentary perspective view of the dies between which the corrugated sheet is clamped for the second crushingvv` opera-tion.

Fig. XIII is a view of a portion of a corrugated sheet having one of its margins crushed and flattened in accordai'ice with this invention.

Fig. XIV is a vertical section on the line XIV-XIV in Figs. XIII and XV.

Fig. XV is a. bottom View of the sheet shown in XIII. the portion of the sheet at the right hand side of the view being in section on the line XV-XV in Figs. XIII and XIV.

Fig. XVI is a vertical section on a small scale showing a casing, or receptacle, having corrugated side walls with their upper and lower margins crushed and flattened in r accordance with this invention.

Fig.' XVII is an enlarged fragmentary section' showing the manner in which the bottom wall of the receptacle may be welded to the lower margin of a corrugated side wall.

Before describing the apparatus for crushing the corrugations. I will refer to Figs. XIII, XIV and XV, which show a corrugated sheet as it appears after one of its margins has been crushed and fiattened in the apparatus.` A designates a corrugated metal sheet having a flat margin A and in` clined faces A2 extending from said flat margin and merging into uncrushed portions of the corrugations Cppositely disposed three-ply fiat folds X are formed at the flat lower end of each corrugation. Inclined twoply folds X extend from said three-ply fiat folds X andmerge into uncrushed portions of the corrugati'ons. The outer plies of each three-ply fold X are extended indiverging lines so as to form parts of the inclined twoply folds Xp', which merge into uncrushed portions of the eorrugations. I

'I he manner in which the outer plies of theflat three-ply' folds are extended to diverge to the whole corrugations at Opposite sides of the sheets will be readily understood by referring to Figs. XIII7 XIV and XV,`bu't a careful' study of the drawings andw description may be necessary to understand how the' interposed ply of each flat three*- ply fold is divided so a's to form part of the inclined two-ply folds The interposed ply of each' fiat three-ply fold X lies between and parallel with the flat outer plies, but this interposed ply lmust also merge into the iincrus'he'd portions of the corrugations. Fig. XV shows that each interposed ply at the flat margin lies transversely to the corrugations which appear in dotted lines crossing the middle of the interposed jply. To form the inclined two-ply folds at each of said interposed plies has diverging extensions X2 (Figs. XIV and XV) leading from the fiat margin and merging into corrugations at opposite sides of the sheet. To understand this by referring to Figs. XIV and XV7 asw sume that one-half of each interposed ply is extended to form part of an inclined fold X', while the other half of the same interposed ply is extended to form part of an inclined fold X at the opposite side of the sheet.

Each inclined two-ply fold X is thus formed partly by an inclined extension leading from one of the fiat outer plies and partly by an extension X2 leading from one-half of an interposed flat ply. The side edges of each inclined fold X (Figs. XIII and XV) converge from a flat three-ply fold X and merge into an uncrushed portion of a corrugation.

Before describing the details of the crushing` elements herein shown, I will state that the peculiar' folds may be formed by two successive crushing operations, and I will briefly point out the results of these operations. In Figs. III andIV the uncrushed corrugated sheet A is illustrated as it appears when placed in. the apparatus. Figs. I, V and VIillustrate the results of the first crushing operation whereby the ends of the corriiigations at one side of the sheet are crushed. in this manner, the sheet is placed in the dies shown by Figs. VIII to XII inclusive, and the other side is crushed as shown by Figs. X and XI. rl`he sheet is then removed from the dies. and it is in the condition shown by Figs. XIII, XIV and XV.

Referring now to Figs. I to VII inclusive. B designates a back die and C designates a front die, saiddies having ribs B and C respectively conforming approximately to the corrugations of the metal sheet A. This sheet is clamped between the dies as shown most clearly in Fig. II. The lower margins of the ribs I3 on the back die B are cut away (Figs. III and VII) to provide inclined faces l and flat facesQ leading from said inclined faces. The ribs C of the front die C are extended at the lower portion of the die to form fingers 3 (Figs. IV and VII) and each finger 3 has an inclined face l and a fiat face 5. Fig. VII shows the dies separated from each other and it will be apparent that the front die C may be moved as indicated arrows in Fig. VII, so as tointerlock with the back die B as shown by Figs. II and IV.

lifter one side has been crushed The ribs C and the rib extensions 3 of the front die C are formed integral with an abutment (i adapted to be engaged by a thrust member for the purpose of securely clamping the front die B.

As shown by Figs. I and II, supporting arms 8 extend from the back die B, and the front die C is provided with fingers 9 adapted to rest upon said arms.

When the front and back dies are assembled to clamp the corrugated sheet between them (Figs. III and IV), the flat faces 2 of the ribs on the back die B lie approximately flush with the fiat faces 5 of the front die, so as to providea substantially continuous and approximately flat face at the lower margins of the dies. The inclined faces l and 4 are likewise approximately :flush with each other. However, the faces 1 and 2 are not precisely flush with the faces 4l and 5. These faces are slightly offset as shown by Figs. rrr, rv and vr.

en the corrugated metal sheet A is clamped between the dies, it is securely held, but the corrugations at one side are exposed at the lower margins of the dies, as shown in Figs. III and IV. i

I will now describe the movable carriage which cooperates with the dies to crush and flatten the exposed corrugations at the lower margin of the corrugated sheet. This movable carriage is provided with a frame (Fig. I) including a front member 10, a back member 11, and suitable connecting ribs 12 formed integral with said front and back members. A rod 13 (Fig. I) extending from the back member 10 is loosely fitted to the thrust member 7, the latter being provided with a flat extension 7. A compression spring 14 is interposed between the thrust member 7 and the front member 10. 15 designates a bending bar interlocked with the back member 11 of the movable carriage and having a fiat face 16 (Figs. III and IV) located lopposite to and parallel with the flat faces 2 and 5 on the dies. This bending bar 15 is also provided with an inclined face 17 located opposite to and parallel with the inclined faces 1 and 4L on the dies.

The operation of' the parts so far described may be described as follows: After the dies have been assembled with the corrugated sheet between them (Figs. III and IV the movable carriage including the bending bar 15 and yielding thrust member 7 is moved to the left from the position shown by Figs. III and IV to the position shown by Figs. I, V and VI. At the beginning of this operation, the yielding thrust member 7 engages the abutmentl 6 of the front die C so as to securely clamp the corrugated sheet between the correspondingly corrugated dies, the back die B being stationary. The bending bar 15 then engages the tips of the corrugations at one side of the sheet, and as this bending bar continues to move toward the stationary dies, the exthe corrugated sheet A between die C and the stationary back posed portions of the corrugations are gradually folded and flattened between the faces 16 and 17 of the bending bar and the correspondingly formed faces of the dies.

Actual experience has shown that the exposed portions of the corrugations will be bent .from the condition shown by Figs. III and IV to the condition shown by Figs. V and VI, but it may be diflicult to understand just why the neat and regular folds are positively formed during the crushing operation. At the beginning of the operation, the uncrushed corrugated sheet is firmly held between the dies as shown by Figs. II, III and IV, and by referring to Fig. IV it will be seen that the corrugations will readily bend at the junction of the lat faces 2 and 5. Considering only one of the exposed corrugations, note that the exposed portion is approximately V-shaped and that its tip, or apex, is rounded. The flat face of the crushing bar 15 engages this rounded tip and moves toward the flat faces 2 and 5. As a result, there is a tendency to flatten the rounded tip and at the same time bend the corrugated sheet metal at the junctions of the fiat faces 2 and 5. While the bending bar 15 is moving toward these flat faces, the sheet metal webs diverging from the tip of a corrugation are bent away from each other at the junctions of the flat faces 2 and 5. At the same time, the portions of the diverging webs near the rounded tip are gradually flattened until the bending bar 15 reaches the position shown by Figs. V and VI. The exposed end portion of each corrugation is thus crushed and flattened to provide two oppositely disposed folds on a flat face 5, and these folds are extended along one of the inclined faces 4 so as to merge into an uncrushed portion of the corrugation.

After the corrugated sheet has been acted upon in this manner, the dies are separated to release the sheet from the baclr die B, and the front die C is moved longitudinally of the corrugations so as to withdraw its ribbed extensions 3 from the folded lower margin of the corrugated sheet.

Thereafter, the partly crushed sheet is applied to the dies shown in Figs. VIII to XII inclusive, and a second crushing operation is performed to place the sheet in the condition shown by Figs. XIII, XIV and X Before describing the second crushing operation, I will describe the second set of dies which are shown most clearly by Figs. VIII, IX and XII.

B2 designates a stationary back die having ribs 20, and C2 designates a front die having ribs 21 adapted to interlock with the ribs 2O so as to clamp the corrugated sheet between these dies. The lower ends of the ribs 2O and 21 are V-shaped to provide the inclined faces 20 and 2l. TWhen these dies are interlocked with each other, the inclines 20" are almost flush with the inclines 21, but these inclined faces are slightl f oiiset as shown by Fig. Vlll. rEheftront die C2 is provided with an abutment 6 to which the ribs 21 are integrally connected.

To provide a backing for the 'folded metal that has been crushed by the iirst operation7 a stationary bar Q2 is located beneath the stationary back die B2, and an abutment bar 23 is interloclred with this bar 22, as shown in Fig. VIII.

ln assembling the dies shown by Figs. VH1 to XH, the ribs 2O ol the back die B2 are applied to one side of the partly crushed corrugated sheet, and said die is moved downwardly relative to the sheet, so as to engage the V-shaped lower ends oi? ribs 2() with the previously formed inclined folds, as shown in Fig. VH1. rlhe front die C2 is applied to the other side of the corrugated sheet so as to clamp the sheet between the ribs of the dies. The abutment bar 23 engages the outer iaces ofthe folds previously formed in the sheet (Fig. VIII), and these outer faces conform to the adjacent 'faces of the abutment bar 23, the inclined folds being clamped between the inclined 'face ot the abutment bar and the corresponding inclines at the lower ends ot the dies.

lllVhen the parts have been assembled in this manner (Figs. VIH and IX), the corrugated sheet is securely held., and its uncrushed lower marginal portion is exposed in 'front of the flat tolds at the lower margin oft the sheet. At a slightly higher ele vation, an uncrushed portion olf the sheet is exposed in front oit the inclined faces 20 and 21 atthe lower margins of the dies. The flat .tace 16 ot bending bar 15 is opposite to and parallel with the crushed portions oi the corrugations. while the inclined tace 17 of said bending bar lies opposite to and parallel with the inclined' abutment ita-ces `2O and 21. i

To crush and flatten the exposed lower marginal portions of the corrugations, the carriage including the yielding thrust member 7' and bending bar 15 is moved to the lett from the position shown by Figs. VIH and IX. The yielding; thrust member Tengages the abut-ment 6 while the bendingV bar 15 moves to the lett until it occupies the position shown by Figs. X and XI. Dur ingv this operation, the exposed lower marginal portion oi the corrugated sheet is 'folded and iiattened between the fiat liace 16 of the bending bar and the previously formed flatolds in the corrugations. At the same time, the inclined face 17 of the bending bar moves toward the stationary inclines 20 and 2 1. so as to form inclined folds 'above the flat lower margin. The bend-ing bar finally reaches the position shown by Figs. X and XI, and this comn pletes the second crushing operation. The crushed portions oi: the sheet then appear asy shown by Figs. X, XI, Kili, XIV and XV.

Actual practice, in the manufacture of transformer' casings, has shown that this apparatus tor lfolding and flattening the mar* gins of corrugated sheets is entirely practicable and that the peculiar Yiolds herein shown can be easily and quickly formed with a high degree of accuracy and at a very lor." cost. i

Although l have described two successive crushing operations and illustrated the minute details et the 'folds produced by these operations. it is to ybe understood that vthe scope olf the invention is to befdetermined by the claims hereunto appended and not by the specific description ot the particular apparatus herein set forth.

is an illustration of an article involving the use oit a corrugated sheet havingi'lat margins, in Figs. XVI and XVM l have shown a transformer housing having corrugated side walls with flat top and bottom margins formed inaccordance with 'this invention. .A closure-receiving bar 30 is welded to the flat outer `face of the upper margin and a similar bar 31 is welded to thejl'la'l. outer tace oi the lower margin. 32 designates a plain {iat-sheet oi metal surrounded by the corrugated side walls vand welded to the fiat lower margins. The bar 31 and sheet metal bottom 32 are preferably Aflush with the extreme lower edge et the flat margin.

The welding opera-tion can be readily performed by the use of an ordinary welding torch, so as 'to integrally connect the flattened portions ot the corrugations to the bottom 32 and at the same time effectively 105 seal the `folds at these flattened margins, thereby preventing leakage ot fluid through the flattened portions of the corrugations.

rlhe corrugated sheet to be'` crushed (Fig. il) may be formed with side langes 33., and 1.10 the flange at either side oin the sheet may b'e welded to a similar flange `on another 'corrugated sheet.v so as to `form a continuous corrugated sheet made of a number ot sections welded together at the iianges The 1,15 die C shown in Fig. ll'. is provided with recesses 34 at the extremities of its ribs C adapted to receive the flanges 33. Fach rib `C maybe recessed so. that sheets of vae rious widths may be clamped between the 120 dies.

l claim: q

1. In an apparatus of the character described. means or ilfatteningI the corrugations'at a margin of a corrugated metal sheet 125 and att-he same time Jiorining inclined folds in the corrugated metal adjoining said margin. said means including clamping members between which the corrugated sheet is held, and a bending member cooperating 130 with said clamping members, said clamping members having inclined abutment faces and said bending member having a correspondingly formed inclined abutment located opposite to said inclined faces.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, means for flattening the corrugations at a margin of a corrugated metal sheet and at the same time forming inclined folds in the corrugated metal adjoining said margin, said means including clam ping members between which the corrugated sheet is held, and a bending member cooperating with said clamping members, said clamping members having inclined abutment faces substantially parallel with each other, said bending member having an inclined abutment face opposite to and substantially parallel with the first mentioned abutment faces, and one of said members being movable toward the other to form said inclined folds.

3. In an apparatus for flattening the corrugations at a margin of a corrugated metal sheet and at the same time forming inclined folds in the metal adjoining said margin, a pair of clamping members having ribs between which the corrugations are clamped, each of said ribs having a fiat abutment face at one end and an inclined abutment face leading from said fiat face, the abutment faces on the ribs of one clamping member being parallel with and slightly offset from the ribs of the other clamping member, a bending bar having a flat face opposite to and parallel with the aforesaid flat faces, said bending bar also having an inclined face opposite to and parallel with the aforesaid inclined faces, said bending bar being movable toward said clamping members to flatten the margins of the corrugated sheet, and a thrust member adapted to engage one of said clamping members to force it toward the other clamping member.

4. In an apparatus for crushing margins of corrugated metal sheets, a pair of clamping members having'ribs between which the corrugations are clamped, each of said ribs having inclined abutment faces converging to one of their ends and the abutment faces on each rib being parallel with the abutment faces on the other ribs, and crushing elements including abutments at opposite sides of said inclined abutment faces, each of said abutments having an inclined face opposite to and parallel with the inclined abutment faces on one side of said pair of clamping members, each of said abutments also having a flat abutment face leading from its inclined face, and the flat abutment faces on the abutments being parallel with each other.

5. In an apparatus for fiattenin'g the corrugations at both sides of a margin of a corrugated sheet, a pair of clamping members having ribs between which the corrugations are clamped, said ribs having parallel abutment faces, a second pair of clamping members having ribs between which the corrugations are clamped, the ribs of said second pair having parallel abutment faces, and crushing elements adapted to successively cooperate with the first and second pair of clamping members.

6. In an apparatus for flattening the corrugations at both sides of a margin of a corrugated sheet, a pair of clamping members having ribs between which the corrugations are clamped, said ribs having parallel abutment faces, a second pair of clamping members having ribs between which the corrugati'ons are clamped, the ribs of said second pair having parallel abutment faces, and crushing elements adapted to successively cooperate with the first and second pair of clamping members, said crushing elements including a bending` member having an abutment face conforming to the abutment faces on said ribs.

7. In an apparatus for flattening the corrugations at both sides of a margin of a corrugated sheet, a pair of clamping members having ribs between which the corrugations are clamped, said ribs having parallel abutment faces, a second pair of clamping members having ribs between which the corrugations are clamped, the ribs of said second pair having parallel abutment faces, and crushing elements adapted to successivelyT cooperate with the first and second pair of clamping members, said crushing elements including a bending member having 'an abut ment face conforming to the abutment faces on said ribs, each of said abutment faces having an inclined portion parallel with the other abutment faces.

In an lapparatus for flattening the corrugat-ions at both sides of a margin of a corrugated sheet, a pair of clamping members having ribs between which the corrugations are clamped, said ribs having parallel abutment faces, a second pair of clamping members having ribs between which the corrugas tions are clamped, the ribs of said second pair having parallel abutment faces, and crushing elements adapted to successively cooperate with the first and second pairs of clamping members, said crushing elements including a bendingmember having an abutment face conforming to the abutment faces on said ribs, each of said abutment faces having an inclined portion parallel with the other abutment faces and the abutment faces on the first mentioned ribs being provided with flat portions at an angle to their inclined portions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES E. ATKINSON. 

